Victim Support Systems in Malaysia

This chapter reviews provisions for victim support in Malaysia under four statutes: the Criminal Procedure Code, the Women and Girls Protection Act 1973, the Child Protection Act 1991, and the Domestic Violence Act 1996. Collectively, these statutes provide for both financial compensation and physical protection for victims. The Criminal Procedure Code provides for the payment of financial compensation to a crime victim. This is in the form of restitution from the offender; the amount payable cannot exceed 50 Malaysian ringgit. Most of the victim-related legislation in Malaysia, however, focuses on the physical protection of victims. The most prominent of these statutes are the Women and Girls Protection Act 1973 (WGPA), the Child Protection Act 1991 (CPA), and the Domestic Violence Act 1994 (DVA). The WPGA seeks to protect all females from undesirable actions or circumstances that threaten their well-being. These include their own deviant behavior; auto-victimization; neglect; ill-treatment; unsatisfactory home conditions; the threat of injury, harm, or abuse of their persons by others; unwelcome sexual approaches; and protection against infections. The CPA aims to protect children from all forms of abuse, including physical, sexual, mental, or psychological abuse. The DVA seeks to protect women from acts of violence by spouses or former spouses, parents or guardians, or any family member. A number of institutions have been established in Malaysia for the purpose of providing shelter for victims of physical abuse. To date, the government has established five residential institutions to provide shelter to females who are deemed in need of protection. Abstract courtesy of National Criminal Justice Reference Service, www.ncjrs.org.